Saigon Residents Swap Screens for Ceramics as a Means to Relax and Connect

Can ceramics be a form of self-care? Sitting in a cozy space, slowly covering blank clay with color can have a profoundly calming effect. Rotating a textured mug in your hand to spread paint across a template or letting your imagination reveal a picture on the surface of a plate is important in what it's not: idly scrolling a screen or absorbing a chaotic assault of algorithm-indebted ads and announcements. As digital busyness invades every minute of our waking lives, hand-painting ceramics is a mental and emotional cleanse.

 Ceramic4You’s Arrival in Saigon

The past several years have seen a rise in hobby craft activities with ceramics among the most popular. BBC explains: “The tyranny of working and communicating digitally is one reason for the recent appetite for crafting – it is the perfect antidote to the online world. And of all the crafts, perhaps pottery does this most successfully. [...] although multi-tasking has long been seen in a positive light, now is a time when many of us yearn to slow down, and focus on a single, absorbing activity.”

Ceramics themselves are, of course, an ancient, essential element of human society. The painting of already-formed plates, cups, trays, and dishes as a fun pastime is not new either. In the 1990s, for example, the trend moved from America to Europe, where shops and cafes opened for groups of friends, coworkers, students, and couples to spend time transforming simple ceramics into personal works of art.

Stefan Michalk witnessed the ceramics trend in his native Germany in the 1990s, and the idea returned recently after he’d left the publishing world and was looking for fresh businesses to bring to Saigon. Along with his partner, Chi, a voice of creativity and local insight, they recently opened Ceramic4You on Lê Văn Miến Street in the former Thảo Điền. The cafe and pottery studio now provides a casual form of therapy, relaxation, and bonding for Saigon residents.

The Difference is in the Details

True to stereotypes of German demand for precision and a fastidious attention to quality, Ceramic4You holds itself to exceedingly high standards. Such commitment to details is evident the moment you step into the hushed, bright space. After a small seating area, a pristine cafe countertop and kitchen area outfitted with high-tech coffee, waffle and drink gadgets stands across from a floor-to-ceiling shelf of blank ceramics. It’s from these awaiting Bát Tràng pieces that guests can select.

The spacious second floor features more tables for painting at with natural light. On the wall at the top of the staircase is a large display of Mayco paints. These American-made colors are considered the world standard because of how consistently and accurately they maintain their shades after being fired in a kiln. Similarly, Ceramic4You’s two kilns were both imported: one from Germany and one from the USA. This means that when guests finish a piece, they can be confident that their hard work and artistic vision are perfectly preserved.

To control quality Ceramic4you manages the whole process inhouse. Having two own modern electric kilns customers receive their finished work within 72 hours, which is rather unique for the activity that can often take more than a week.

A Complete and Soothing Experience

Ceramic4You makes the experience easy for guests by providing very clear, multilingual instructions for how to use the many design elements that include stickers, stamps, patterns, tape, stencils and silk screens. There are even QR codes that lead to videos for how best to use them. This is particularly helpful because Ceramic4You doesn’t offer classes or teacher-led instruction; that’s not the point. Guests have the freedom to indulge their creative whims while focusing on the company they are with, savoring the hours of uninterrupted peace and opportunity for self-expression.

In addition to not being a place for classes, Ceramic4You is not a babysitter, Stefan cautions. Children are more than welcome, but while it is popular for the many families that live in the area, parents must supervise their young children to ensure they enjoy the experience while not bothering other guests. This maintains a comfortable atmosphere where couples have time to really hear each other, friends can feel unencumbered, and co-workers can discover sides of one another’s personalities that don’t normally appear in office settings.

While sponging abstract colors, stenciling delicate flowers or even printing a beloved pet’s paw on a dish, it’s nice to enjoy some refreshments. The same commitment to quality that informs the ceramics applies to the cafe’s drinks and waffles. Fresh fruit means that no added sugar is needed for the juice while only real butter and maple syrup are used for the waffles.

The result of this holistic attention to detail manifests in guests having positive experiences that leave them relaxed and happy, Chi notes. Such feelings are reflected in the glowing reviews online with customers praising the comfortable space, friendly staff and easy process that leaves them with creative pieces to be treasured as reminders of precious afternoons in the city.

Decorating ceramics is a year-round activity, but it seems particularly suited to the holiday season when friend groups, companies and families are all eager to gather and yearn for something new or different. Moreover, Ceramic4You sells gift cards that make a perfect gift for nearly everyone.

The next time you find yourself wondering what there is to do in Saigon that isn’t another routine cafe or restaurant, or are consumed with a vague but pressing ennui that defies a simple remedy, consider Ceramic4You. You might discover that simply having coarse pottery in your hands, colors unspooling from your imagination and a chill atmosphere are exactly what you need.